


Have You And Grab You

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [56]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, First Kiss, Flirting, Rivalry, Summer Vacation, klarolineauweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-03 03:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6594019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Home for the summer from school in New Orleans Caroline is bored out of her mind. A project falls into her lap - courtesy of Jeremy Gilbert's ineptitude. Her former classmate Klaus Mikaelson has much better ideas of how Caroline could spend her time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Have You And Grab You

**Have You And Grab You**

**(Prompt: Klaus and Caroline have younger siblings who are in the same grade. There's a class fundraiser and they're competing over who can sell the most boxes of candy. Title from 'Cherry Bomb' by The Runaways. Rated K+)**

Caroline hadn't _intended_ to spend her summer vacation helping Jeremy Gilbert sell chocolate bars. It had just kind of happened.

Okay, fine, it wasn't so much 'helping' as it was completely taking over. Was it Caroline's fault that Jeremy was a slacker with zero entrepreneurial instincts? She didn't think so. And he (and his classmates!) would totally thank her when they were staying in a nice hotel on their class trip.

That's what she told herself. But mostly she was just so very _bored_.

Caroline had initially been a teeny bit apprehensive about leaving Mystic Falls, scared she'd drown in the bigger pond that was Loyola University. But, much to her relief, that hadn't happened. She'd swum just fine, flourished even. Katherine, her assigned roommate, had turned out to be awesome even if she'd been scary upon first impression. Kat had a knack for finding the best parties, and was the greatest wingwoman in the history of time. She was confident, and fun and a big part of the reason Caroline had come to love New Orleans.

Caroline had embraced a bigger city, hadn't been the least bit homesick. But she'd decided to come home for the summer, had strong armed herself a paid position in the mayor's office. She'd been kind of worried about her mom, assuming that Liz Forbes barely left her office without Caroline at home to check up on.

It was probably true, and would remain true once Caroline went back to school in the fall. But, at least for the summer, Caroline could ensure that her mom got some fresh air, and interaction with humans who weren't criminals or other cops.

She'd just kind of forgotten how _slow_ Mystic Falls was. And it was driving her insane. Caroline's work was cake (after she'd straightened out the appalling filing system) and she was done by 3 PM every day. There was literally one bar in town, and her fake I.D. wasn't going to fool people who were well aware that she wasn't 21 yet as they'd known her since she was an actual baby. And sometimes managed to forget that she wasn't anymore.

She'd fallen in with some of her old high school friends, had a good time catching up, even if things felt a little distant and weird. Elena hadn't ventured far – went to Whitmore and lived with her boyfriend (mildly scandalous since he was older, and had a less than stellar rep). But dirt didn't really stick to Elena's veneer of perfection, so other than the odd whisper no one gave her shit about it.

That renewed friendship was how she'd found out about Jeremy being a miserable failure at effective fundraising.

Elena worked at her dad's clinic, and Caroline had popped over for lunch, noted the chocolate on display and recognized it. It was the same company Mystic Falls High had always used, and Caroline had been no slouch at raising money in her day.

Caroline had asked Elena how it was going. Her first mistake. Elena had rolled her eyes, "It's not. Like at all. I think the only boxes that have been sold are people who've bought them here. And that's not a lot, since people aren't exactly dying to eat chocolate after a physical, you know?"

Something had clicked, the lure of a challenge. Caroline had tried to resist, really she had.

But Caroline never could resist a project. The first case she'd taken off of Elena's hands and brought to the Mayor's office had sold in no time, the group of workers repairing the stone façade easy prey to a pretty girl offering sweets.

The second two cases had been sold to the mayor herself, Caroline easily convincing Mrs. Lockwood that adding boxes to the place settings at a town event was a great idea. "People love chocolate!" she'd chirped. "And it's great PR, shows you support our local schools! Totally what people want to know, in an election year."

And then things snowballed. If Caroline had anything to say about it Jeremy _would_ take the top seller crown. No matter what she had to do.

* * *

"I should have known," a familiar voice drawls, cutting into her conversation with Mrs. Reynolds.

Caroline offers the woman, her old cheer coach who handles the fundraiser, a bright smile, turning to face Klaus Mikaelson. She kept her tone sweet enough for their audience, but wished she could kill with the power of her mind. She'd almost talked her way into having the rules bent, and he'd interrupted all her careful work. "Fancy meeting you here. I'd have thought you'd rather burn the school to the ground then set foot in it again after graduation."

He takes no offense, actually agrees with her, "An accurate assessment, love. But I'm not here by choice." He hefts an envelope and nods at Mrs. Reynolds, "Rebekah and my mother have gone to Richmond for a few days. I was told to drop these off and pick up another few boxes of those chocolates so she might continue peddling them incessantly when she returns."

Mrs. Reynolds looks impressed, "She's done with the last batch already? That's incredible. A girl after your own heart, Caroline. I'll need to go grab the cases out of storage, so give me a few minutes."

She walks away briskly, leaving Klaus and Caroline alone. Which rarely ended well. Except for that one time they _never_ spoke of. What happened in Tyler Lockwood's hallway closet during a game of 7 Minutes in Heaven _stayed_ in Tyler Lockwood's closet.

Those were the rules. They could not be broken.

Even if Caroline had never thought the game's title more accurate then when she'd stumbled out of the closet, lips tingling and hot all over.

"Have you really nothing better to do then this?" Klaus asks curiously. "I heard you trying to wheedle more than the allotted cases out of the woman. Calling it an errand for Jeremy Gilbert. He's a friend of Kol's, you know. So I'm well aware that they're wiling their summer away with Call of Duty and weed. Kol's cravings are a big percentage of Rebekah's sales, actually. I can only logically conclude that Jeremy rising to the top of the best seller chart, which Rebekah is most displeased about, has nothing to do with any work _he_ is putting in."

Caroline freezes, knowing she's busted. She'd totally forgotten about Klaus' insane number of siblings.

She deflates, leaning against the desk with a sigh, "Honestly? No, I really don't have anything better to do. I always thought Mystic Falls was boring but I had no idea how boring until I had something to compare it too. I miss New Orleans already even though it's only been three weeks." She winces at how pathetic she sounds, bracing herself to be mocked.

But Klaus doesn't comment on her startling lack of a life, his brows shooting up, "New Orleans? Really? Where do you go?"

"Loyola," Caroline answers. "Business program. Why?"

"Tulane. Art school," he tells her, with a grin. "Seems we're practically neighbors, sweetheart."

Caroline rolls her eyes, "We've _been_ practically neighbors since you moved here in the 3rd grade. Don't know why it's notable now."

Klaus smirks, drifting closer, so her bare legs just brush his knees. He leans in voice lowering, "It'll be easier for you to give in to your burning attraction to me without all the prying eyes and busybodies who clutter up this town, don't you think?"

"Excuse me, but _my_ burning attraction?" Caroline spits back indignantly. "I think you've got that the other way around, buddy. You're the one who was doing all the pigtail pulling. Always disagreeing with me in class, telling me my color schemes _clashed_ , when they absolutely did _not_."

He doesn't look the least bit repentant, the ginormous _ass_. Klaus plants his hands on the desk, next to her hips, caging her in. "It did get your attention, didn't it? And you're lovely, when you're riled. I still think about the way you sank your teeth into my shoulder when I slipped my fingers into your knickers in that closet."

Her face heats, the memory rushing back. Because she totally thinks about it too, and how freaking pissed she'd been when they'd been interrupted before either of them could actually get off. Stupid, drunk, impatient teenagers.

Caroline clears her throat, tosses her hair back. " _Maybe_ you could have had more to think about, if you'd stopped being a _douche_ for five seconds and asked me out."

He pulls back, surprise coloring his features as he studies her face intently, "You'd never have agreed," he says, though there's a hint of unsureness there. "Miss Mystic Falls, Head Cheerleader, Prom Princess and me? Your friends would have thought it odd."

Caroline scoffs, "So? I was kind of over the high school hierarchy bitchery by the time we hit senior year, Klaus. There's a reason I only applied to schools out of state."

"You could have made a move too, love," Klaus points out reasonably. "It's the 21st century and you're not exactly shy. And you were clearly aware of my interest."

She could admit that he had a point. A teeny, tiny one. Maybe she'd wanted to be chased, insecure because she never seemed to be wanted like certain other girls. But being away from Mystic Falls had been good for her, in all sorts of ways. Caroline had come to realize that going after what she wanted had some serious perks.

And it didn't hurt that she was positive that rejection wasn't a possibility.

Caroline tilts her head, cups Klaus' jaw with one hand, and brushes her lips over his. It's brief, chaste, because Mrs. Reynolds could very well return at any moment. Klaus hands grip her waist, squeezing gently as she pulls away. His eyes are a little wide, and she thinks he's trying very hard not to smile. "Do you want to go out with me, Klaus?" Caroline asks.

He loses the battle, grinning at her and nodding immediately. "I do. How would you like to come to D.C. with me this weekend, love? I'm supposed to check on Elijah's apartment. He's working in London for a few months. It's not New Orleans, but it _is_ a city. I'm sure we can find something to entertain ourselves."

Getting out of Mystic Falls sounds pretty perfect to Caroline and her mind begins racing, thinking about how she's going to spin it for her mom. "I'd love to," she agrees.

They hear footsteps in the hall, and Klaus steps back, to a slightly more respectable distance. "Perfect. May I buy you lunch when we're done here? Firm up our plans?" he asks, just a touch hopefully.

It's completely endearing and Caroline kind of wishes she'd gone for a more serious kiss. Makes a mental note to go for it before the day was through.


End file.
